SOC 1101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Friedrich Engels, Primitive Communism, Historical Materialism
19 Feb 2017
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Chapter 6
Thinking About Sociology
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Karl Marx, Max Webber, and Friedrich Engels
-Karl Marx (1818-1883)
-historical materialist method
-focused on external, material world
-‘marxism’ is people following in his belief system
-political activist and social scientist
-wanted to overthrow capitalism
-believed that it oppressed the many by the few
-called the working class the Proletariat
-called the owners of productive property the Bourgeoisie
-they are the owners of the means of production - everything needed fro
production apart form labour
-rejected the idea of philosophical idealism, proposed by Hegel, the thought
that physical things are not real
-came up with his own theory dialectal materialism, a method that focused not
on ideas but on the actual material conditions of people’s existence
-became his term for his theoretical perspective on history, society, and social
relations
- Historical Materialism
-same thing as dialectal materialism - modern name
-believed that all societies that have existed throughout history can be
classified into 6 economic stages which he called modes of production
-primitive communism
-advanced communism
-asiatic societies
-can also exist at the same time as as primitive communism or ancient
societies (derived from asia)
-ancient societies
-feudalism
-capitalism
-any given mode of production is made up of material forces of production
(everything needed for it to take place) and social relations of production
(through which control over it is established and maintained)
-certain tasks must be accomplished: getting food, building shelter, raising
children, healing sick, placating gods, ect.
-Capitalism Mode of production
-the mode of production (typically industrial) in which productive properly is
owned privately and used for private gain
-wanted to “call the workers of the world to unite and loose their chains”
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Marxism" is people following in his belief system. Believed that it oppressed the many by the few. Called the owners of productive property the bourgeoisie. They are the owners of the means of production - everything needed fro production apart form labour. Rejected the idea of philosophical idealism, proposed by hegel, the thought that physical things are not real. Came up with his own theory dialectal materialism, a method that focused not on ideas but on the actual material conditions of people"s existence. Became his term for his theoretical perspective on history, society, and social relations. Same thing as dialectal materialism - modern name. Believed that all societies that have existed throughout history can be classi ed into 6 economic stages which he called modes of production. Can also exist at the same time as as primitive communism or ancient societies (derived from asia)
